Minnesota Twins Rumors: An A.J. Pierzynski Reunion Is Not a Good Plan

The Minnesota Twins won 83 games and remained in playoff contention until very late, so 2015 was a successful season under first-year manager Paul Molitor. A postseason berth should be the expectation heading into 2016, but there are plenty of areas for general manager Terry Ryan to address this offseason.

After a solid first season with the Twins in 2014, where he hit .288 with 34 doubles and 61 RBI, catcher Kurt Suzuki fell off offensively this year (.240, five home runs and 50 RBI). With no logical long-term solution behind the plate in the minor league pipeline right now, finding someone to push Suzuki into a backup or platoon role next season should be a priority for the Twins this winter.

In his weekly “Inside Baseball”column, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports.com has suggested the Twins are expected to try to bring back catcher A.J. Pierzynski. The 38-year old (39 on Dec.30) had a good offensive season for the Atlanta Braves in 2015, with a .300/.339/.430 slash-line, nine home runs and 49 RBI over 436 plate appearances, and he hit right-handers well (.309/.342/.457, nine home runs and 42 RBI over 345 plate appearances). So a Pierzynski/Suzuki platoon could work next season, but the Twins should leave aside nostalgia and have a better plan in mind if they seek a catcher this offseason.

Pierzynski was drafted by Minnesota and started his career with the Twins, including an All-Star season in 2002 when the team made a return to the playoffs after a long drought. Pierzynski has been one of the most durable catchers in all of baseball, with at least 400 plate appearances in 14 of the last 15 seasons and at least 130 games played nine times over that span. That includes his final three seasons with the Twins, 2001-2003, in case more perspective is needed.

Effectively putting the band back together, assuming Torii Hunter returns for a second season in his reunion with the Twins, may appeal to fans next year. Pierzynski may even remain a functional player at age-39, in the right role, but the Twins should aim a bit higher and seek a younger, starting-caliber catcher this offseason.

Brad Berreman is a Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter.